An independent panel has recommended a 2% increase in the basic allowance for Kirklees Council’s 69 elected members.

The boost – double last year’s increase – is set to match what thousands of Kirklees Council employees have been offered. They are yet to agree it with the major unions still in discussions with HR chiefs.

If the 2% rise is accepted it will bring councillors’ basic allowance to £13,360 – a £268 per year increase at a total cost of £18,009 to taxpayers.

Councillors awarded themselves a 3.2% pay rise in 2016 but that came after seven years of no increases.

The extra pay councillors get for being leaders or chairing committees is set to be frozen.

The so-called Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) see the leader of the council get an additional £25,155 on top of the £13,360 basic – a total of £38,515.

The deputy leader receives an extra £18,866 – a total of £32,226.

All members of the cabinet are given £12,274 – bringing their income to £25,364.

Huddersfield Town Hall.

Other boosts include an extra £6,138 for chairing a planning committee or scrutiny panel and £4,999 for being Business Manager of a political party.

Councillors’ expenses allowances are set to be unchanged.

They are currently banned from claiming any travel or meal expenses for duties within Kirklees.

All councillors are given a laptop, PC or tablet, such as an iPad, to complete their work at home.

Holiday allowance is 28 days – in line with most public sector jobs.

New maternity and paternity allowances were brought in last December in an emergency meeting after Clr Erin Hill, 25, became the first serving councillor to fall pregnant.

She is currently on maternity leave after giving birth to a boy in February.

The proposed allowances are to be discussed by Kirklees’ Council’s Corporate Governance and Audit Committee on Friday.

It must then be voted on at the next meeting of the Full Council on March 21.